China → Europe shipping routes

From China to Europe there are several main corridors. The choice of route significantly affects cost, transit time, and reliability.

Sea freight

The most cost-effective option for large and heavy cargo. From China’s major ports, containers are shipped by sea to Europe. Ideal for non-urgent, bulky goods.

Rail freight

The rail route is a faster alternative to sea freight and well suited to Central Europe, Russia, and Ukraine. It offers a good balance of cost and time.

• Cost per volume and weight
• Desired transit time
• Destination country and route availability

Air and road freight

Air freight is the fastest and suits urgent, high-value goods. Road freight complements connections within Europe — for example from the port to the destination or for truck deliveries.